Rainbow frowned. She bit onto the mare's tail and dragged her away into the bush. "Ungrateful? No. I didn't need help and you covered my line of sight. I am the protector 'round here. I don't even ponies actively hurting themselves."
Printable View
Vamponies
"Give us a chance to give up? That's mighty kind you Miss, but its you lot who need to give in," The Captain barked. Above them was a certain pegasus who was trying to stealth above them. From Staccata's POV she would see them, but it seemed the officers weren't paying attention to up above in the dark chamber. He and Staccata likely locked eye contact in which he gave her a grin to keep up the distracting work.
Daniel would return back to the naturally frustrating scene, maybe he should rhyme like a boss.
And so Rainbow pulled her into the weedy bush that managed to grow in from underneath the stone, piercing through it. It was a bramble bush, yay.
"Ow..."
Vampolice Showdown
"Oh that's funny," a voice seemingly came from the left-side of the grenadier.
"Now we didn't want to hurt you... lethally," this one was from behind.
Staccata slips into another chunk of cover over. She thinks she can lunge at the big one soon given a chance.
Right. Playtime's over. Daniel takes one of his flame arrows, smashes it on the ground to separate the head into cracked pieces (but not so much that they come off the head...yet) and fires into the police group.
"You better; keep on flyin'
Cause I'm, tired of tryin'
To just find a way
And get these through to you..." Halfway between song and rhyme, he uses it to push the arrow (and the unicorns) so that it doesn't get magically reflected before it shatters on the ceiling over their heads and rains chunks of fire down on them.
"Regroup! Follow the bouncing bard!" He shouts, making sure he has all his allies' attention before diving back into the tunnel.
(tl;dr - Daniel cracks an arrow, fires it while singing to rain fire on the enemies, calls his teammates to his location and dives back into where Gearstride disappeared to.)
[Normal Arrows Left: 1 (immediate) and 20 (bag)]
[Fire Arrows Left: 2 (immediate) 2 (bag)]
Sandy's head nearly flopped down to his chest, coming to a halt to stare back at Silverpine through his reflective goggles. His friend's words sunk into his head, giving him a little island of hope to stand on. He...he trusts me...he thinks I can do this...
The little stallion's horn lit up once more, starting in low, but steadily growing. The spectres of the past rose up once more to haunt him, but now he was not alone. He clung to Silverpine's guiding voice and held on tight through the storms of his mind. He trusts me...I can do this...
Ponies all around would start to feel a little irritation and itchiness as dirt and grit began to lift up and pelt their sides. By now Sandy was shaking and trembling with the effort, but still he poured more magic into his horn. It glowed brighter and brighter, the sand picking up speed, I. Am. Trusted. I. CAN. DO. THIS!
All of a sudden, Sandy's head snapped up, his mouth hanging open in a wordless scream. His horn flashed a brilliant yellow, and his eyes shone like spotlights behind the goggles. Outside, what had just a few moments ago been a little dust kicked up into a raging sandstorm. Visibility would start out so-so, then degrade until ponies would only be able to see a few feet in front of them. Let's just hope their weapons can work with that much sand and dirt getting in them.
Meanwhile, Sandy continued to stand there, unresponsive, swaying as he channeled the magic. Those with the proper sense (AKA the vamponies) would feel his magic stores dropping fast and steadily. This wasn't a spell he could keep up for long at this rate.
(tldr: Sandy kicked up a Sandstorm. It is starting in at medium strength, but it is growing in power. He is channeling a lot of his magic into it, and seems unresponsive while doing so.)
Vampony Stuff
"Be on your guard boys they're coming in from various sides, officers Ready Step, to your----------"
And then chunks of fire rain down on the poor police officers, including Zephyr, since he was right above them, as mentioned earlier, ready to pounce and grab the captain, hoping to take him as a hostage to keep the officers from firing. But there were miscommunication problems, twas a running thing probably. He cried out easily catching aflame from a few flames, being a vampony and all.
And then the officers and Zephyr were pelted with a sandstorm snuffing out the fire and there was yelling lots of yelling of getting out of this vicinity, and lots of attempts at scrambling out of the compact sandstorm. And then Zephyr shot out all charred and writhing and plopped hard on the ground. Miss M shoved Rainbow away and escaped her hold as bullets scattered on the ground that were on her as she rushed over to Zephyr's aid. And lastly, of course, no sign of Gearstride.
Instant speed chess fire-counter: Success. "Well done, Sandy! Now get moving, we don't have long!" He puts his bow and arrows away and runs up to help...wait, he's helping the vampires get Zephyr to safety? It's like he owes the guy for almost killing him twice or something!
Vampony Showdown
Serendipitously, Staccata happened to be wearing some form of protection from getting sand in her eyes. This combined with the distracted guards means one thing: she has full reign to fight dirty and there's nothing they could do to stop her.
Hey, unconscious guards are not longer an issue when the sandstorm is over.
"Well, my cause is making the world more interesting." Night Jewel chuckled. "Does that count?"
"If I try to do anything to the barrier directly. I can use magic that does not affect it, such as the earthquake."Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvin360
"'N that's why I'll want ya helpin' me out with those powers of yars. Ya smashed my shop up, remember?"
"We can discuss that later. For now, let's hear what your friend has in mind."
Aero and Aisis
Aero lets Aisis take over as he looks outside to see what Mile was up to.
---
Barb
A wild soldier appeared!
Barb used rock tomb!
Barb carted the soldier in the rock away, having nefarious plans for him.
Thank you, Sandy.
Silverpine wasted no time in closing the distance between himself and the police ponies. Even an earth pony like him could see that Sandy wouldn't be able to keep up the spell for long in his state. Time to even the odds.
The stallion rushed at the growing sandstorm in full tilt, already waving his shotgun about like a makeshift club. He would slam the butt of his shotgun into the first policepony who was unlucky emerged from the sandstorm, aiming for the noggin where possible.
"hm..."
She looks down, still a bit scared
"Yeah...B-but still..."
Aisis just makes pancakes.
Mile's just running around outside, bees chasing him to sting, but he seems to somewhat outrun them "Aaaah! no I just want the honey!"
Cue his instant panic when he's Rock tombedQuote:
Barb
A wild soldier appeared!
Barb used rock tomb!
Barb carted the soldier in the rock away, having nefarious plans for him.
"What the-?! What's going on!? Get me outta he- Ahh!" Can be heard muffled from inside
"That is not...typical. But perhaps."
"Well, maybe the reason your magic can't affect the barrier is that whenever you cast a spell on it, it uses your power to feed itself. Actually, I can't think of a better shield to use. That would mean passive draining, too.Quote:
"If I try to do anything to the barrier directly. I can use magic that does not affect it, such as the earthquake."
"'N that's why I'll want ya helpin' me out with those powers of yars. Ya smashed my shop up, remember?"
"We can discuss that later. For now, let's hear what your friend has in mind."
I need you to try and either hold back or negate your own magic as much as you can."
"Hey! I get the need to cover our flanks, but we've got bigger problems back here!" He starts helping M drag Zephyr over to the drag-mark alley, with the additional benefit of being marginally safer!
[Sandy Shores]
The storm raged outside, growing in strength and size as the little stallion continued pouring on the magical sauce. Magical energies started to noticeably crackle and arc from his horn, but Sandy didn't even bat an eye. It was like Starswirl said once after having one too many ciders; "Sometimes it's you riding the spell, and other times, the spell rides you." He was little more than a living magical battery the spell was leaching its life from.
As for Daniel's commands, they fell on deaf ears.
(tldr: Sandy continues to channel more magic into the spell, and appears to be ignoring everything else.)
"Sto protecting me. I'm not helpless." whispers Rainbows as she crawls over the archer and two undeads.
Vampony Acquisition Program
"I'm fine.....don't fret too much about me...It was only....fire.....goddesses....fire....sniffle...th at was the first time I've ever been burnt....it crept over me so fast...like I was made of paper..." Zephyr frowned as he got up on his own after having had been pulled away a considerable distance from the sandy action with the poor mind thralled officers.
The officers closed their eyes, at least most of them and dropped their useless guns and pulled out their police batons, some holding them in there mouth, some floating them with magic. They were off guard getting whipped around with the sand. One poor officer tried to get out of the blinding sandstorm only to find himself hit in the head standing there dazed with a little blood poking wound from a shiny new wound. He whinny whimpered and clutched his head, dropping his baton. "Owie...you jerk.."
"But what still?"
Daniel - For Want of A Captain
"If you're sure you're fine, then don't try moving. Maroon, get him back into that passage now! Silverpine, Rogue, strategic retreat, fall back! And I need somepony to help me carry Sandy!" Before there can be any questions like 'carry him? why?', Daniel rushes forward, takes aim with a hoof, and tries his very darndest to hit that very special amount of force against the head that could knock the unicorn out briefly, but not do any massive damage.
Which there is naturally a very good reason for.
Aero
Aero shook his head.
"Mile! Get back inside!"
---
Barb
Barb doesn't reply.
She just continues walking along, the rock following her.
This would probably not end well for the soldier.
Daniel probably could've sat there, taken precise measurements of Sandy's head, drawn a target on the right spot, and then had a bit of tea before striking, and Sandy still wouldn't have noticed a thing. As soon as hoof met head, the unicorn crumpled to the ground in a senseless heap. The light from his horn flickered, sparked, then vanished, his eyes following suit a moment later. The sandstorm immediately started weakening, and would soon be gone completely.
(Can we get a number of how many poilceponies are left? I feel like Staccata and Silverpine could've dropped most of them by this point)
"It's... Still S-scary"
He just rushes inside and closes the door, the bees either hitting it or just flying outside for a while
"*breath* I...*breath* Forgot to get *breath* a bottle...."
"Hey! somepony!...."Quote:
Barb
Barb doesn't reply.
She just continues walking along, the rock following her.
This would probably not end well for the soldier.
He's still rolling inside it, depending on whether she's going into somewhere with others around, then he may be helped :smalltongue:
Vampony Vampony-down
And yet another line on the resume for Staccata's long career of concussing Bridle Shore's finest. Without saying anything or even bucking another cop into the wall, the mare slides off into the shadow. A few seconds later, she appears near Daniel splotched with sand.
"Cool!" Blades grinned. "Ya turn their own magic against 'em! I've got to get myself something that does that kind of thing."Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvin360
"Susan" snorted. "I cannot turn off my power. I can restrain myself from using it, but the potential is still there. Even if I expended all my power, it would still return. I can no more negate my own abilities than you could negate your heartbeat."Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvin360
"I'm not the kind for 'typical', effendi," replied Night Jewel.
By now, they were approaching Obsidian Flare's chamber, and could faintly hear voices from within.
Night Jewel lowered her voice to a whisper. "Sounds like a couple of murderous acquaintances of yours got here first. This could be awkward."
Aero
Aero laughed.
"Mile...bees won't have honey ready after a day anyways. It takes some time..."
"Just go and use the honey we got from the store, okay?"
---
Barb
No such luck, as Barb sends them deep undergrown until they come to a cave illuminated by the glow of lanterns.
She releases the soldier from his tomb.
"Well unfortunately, an artificer we aren't."
"Actually I can-"Quote:
"Susan" snorted. "I cannot turn off my power. I can restrain myself from using it, but the potential is still there. Even if I expended all my power, it would still return. I can no more negate my own abilities than you could negate your heartbeat."
Not the time.
"Do the best you can. Blades, start tossing through this." A tendril splits off from her shadowskin and forms into a rift-in-the-fabric-of-space type of construct, shadow clinging from the inside to cling against whatever passes through. "Hopefully that'll make physical count as magical. If it doesn't, desist." The black around her starts swirling as she concentrates, bits of the skin peeling off into a slowly growing orb.
Dawnstrider tilts his head to the side, listening in. "Not unless the younger aged several years in a few hours. I assume you would be adverse to my simply walking in?"Quote:
"I'm not the kind for 'typical', effendi," replied Night Jewel.
By now, they were approaching Obsidian Flare's chamber, and could faintly hear voices from within.
Night Jewel lowered her voice to a whisper. "Sounds like a couple of murderous acquaintances of yours got here first. This could be awkward."
"awww..... Ok then"
He walks inside, goes into the kitchen, grabs a plate of pancakes and pours honey on them
"hm, strange, Luka likes the cold of morning, wonder why he's not getting it...."
He's released and rolls somewhat away and tries to reach for his weapon, apparently a spearQuote:
Barb
No such luck, as Barb sends them deep undergrown until they come to a cave illuminated by the glow of lanterns.
She releases the soldier from his tomb.
"Augh!, Hey yo-... Uh, Mistress Barb? Wh-What's going on?"
He says, quickly trying to gain composture.
Thralls, mauls, and sandstorms
With the combined efforts of Sandy's now dying sandstorm, Silverpine's and Staccata's freely administered concussions, the poor hapless pawns that were the remaining members of the police force were thorough beat up. Add this to their records of shame that pitted them way beneath the Guardhouse. One officer clad in in her blue uniform crawled toward them from the beaten pile of officers. She struggled to get out her taser and use it on one of our heroes. "Damnit...I won't...let you get away with it villains..."
Aero
Aero looks down at Mile.
"Mile, you wanna go wake up your brother?"
---
Barb
"This."
She stomps a few times, sending rock to trap the soldier's legs and forelegs.
Well, better concussed than dead. Though Silverpine wouldn't want to be the one waking up in the morning afterwards. Having thoroughly adding a few more lumps to the last standing officer, he glanced about, only to notice the last one shakily aiming her taser wildly. The poor mare would be greeted with a shotgun (as in the weapon) to the face, courtesy of Silverpine.
Daniel
Aw, she's all determined. Daniel smiles and looks at the last cop.
"Hush little mare now don't say a word
Listen to the song of the mockingbird
And if the song doesn't put you to sleep
Pass from the waking world, and don't you weep."
('huh?' translation: Daniel's 'pushing' the already-battered cop to just give up on the determination factor and get to relaxing sleep)
"Okay! Hey bro! it's morning! Wa-... *giggles*"
He just enters the room, his bro would be sleeping on top of the bunkbed.... Kind of reminiscent to certain other pegasus that was actually faking it :smallbiggrin:
"He liked the bed :smallbiggrin: ..... Bro, wake up" He climbs and starts prodding him
"huh?"Quote:
Barb
"This."
She stomps a few times, sending rock to trap the soldier's legs and forelegs.
He gets trapped, he tries to break free and breaks the rocks on one of his hindlegs, he keeps trying for a while.
Vamponies, cops, and other Halloween outfits
For her part, Staccata just brushes a bit of sand off and calmly walks away from the dramatic last-stand scene. Those things are rather inaccurate anyway.
I swear officer, I was holding them for a friend...!
With a thwack and a song the officer's consciousness took a dive, but, her tongue slipped the trigger anyway as she passed out. In a melodramatic arc, the taser shot out as the bolts sailed through the air and.....hit between the seams of Sandy's armor. It was beautiful.
(I hope you're content Amish :smalltongue:)
"Yea, I know...but.." He went all frowny face.
[Sandy - Double Unconscious]
Poor Sandy just couldn't catch a break, even when knocked out. With an audible crackle, the taser deposited its magical charge into the hapless unicorn. His tail stood straight on end as his limbs twitched and convulsed on the ground, mouth spouting out a stream of incoherent babble. When the charge was spent, he collapsed onto the ground for the second time in so many minutes, two little burnt patches of fur smoldering on his backside.
In fact, you could say that his flank was...
...smokin'. :smallcool:
Daniel
"...Congratulations, Sandy, you've just been promoted to 'butt monkey'.
Let's get a move on. Silverpine, grab Sandy and head to the middle of the pecking order. Something happens, drop him and fire. Maroon, I'll handle Zephyr until he gets on his feet. Take the lead down that tunnel and try to sniff out Gearstride. Rainbow, Rogue, cover our flanks. Let's not waste any time." He walks back over to Zephyr and helps him up, then lets him lean on him as support, and starts heading down his super-special passageway.
"And somepony remind me how many hostiles we've got left down here."
Police-less Vampony Lair
Staccata takes up a sentry position making sure they aren't snuck up on while Sandy is unconscious... and smoking. "Who's up?"
Rainbow could not look back Sandy's way. She hates seeing him hurt for multiple reasons now. The sniper does not bother to reload her bow as she headed to the front right flank of the marching order.
Silverpine only nodded wordlessly in response and moved to pick up both his fallen shotgun and then gently picking up and easing Sandy onto his back. It was quite fortunate that Sandy was quite the small one. As he made his way back to the group, he began reloading his shotgun with his mouth, one shell at a time.
Somewhere in the vampony lair...
"More....I feel as if though we were just playing around with the tip of the iceburg...." Miss M glanced back at the unconscious officers, the few unconscious vamponies, the few not unconscious but immobile vamponies that were put tucked away, and the dead vamponies who still left bodies behind. She did not feel good, what was that? Regret, yes, regret at least the officers weren't murdered, thank the gods for small favors. She was fine and able, along with Zephyr who was able to walk fine now, twas only a flesh burn.
The catacombs were all stoney and twisty and smelled of mold and chilling staleness. There was no Gearstride as they ventured on, not even her smell for the vamponies to follow. "I'm sure...we'll find her..right?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the chamber from whence they had their skirmish in....
There was stirring among the fallen police ponies.
'No, no.....this is not over.....haha...get up.....stand strong and capture those villains....'
The ponies stirred some more, those who opened their eyes had a blue haze gloss over. Some officer ponies stirred from unconsciousness and crawled over to the pinned vamponies. One officer bit down on a stake and made a pulling movement....
/end scene
"What exactly are-"
Before Flare could finish, daggers were already flying and taking in the magic as they went. They bounced off the field, causing it to shudder briefly.
"My, that's clever of ya! That's actually makin' some use out of that magic!" Blades grinned.
"I meant the metalworker, not the little unicorn who tried to kill you last night. Anyway, if we're going to stop her getting access to more high explosives, we'd better hurry. Go on." Night Jewel stepped behind Dawnstrider and prepared to watch things unfold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelvin360
Focus...then unleash. You have to enjoy the show.
The full shadowy orb floats down and Arvadraa rears up, putting it between her front hooves and blasting it fully forward, Hadoken-style.
Well, at least until the flying golden greatsword connects with the blast in midair, causing it to ricochet into a wall.Quote:
"I meant the metalworker, not the little unicorn who tried to kill you last night. Anyway, if we're going to stop her getting access to more high explosives, we'd better hurry. Go on." Night Jewel stepped behind Dawnstrider and prepared to watch things unfold.
Oh what the b-
Arvadraa turns to face Dawnstrider as he calmly walks forward, glowing gold armor already fading back to black. "....That was actually really impressive."
"Thank you, I engage in exercise regularly." Pause. Wait...that was supposed to be something different. I need to pay much more attention in Daniel's one-liners class.
Shadows from around the room already slowly moving towards her to reform the shadowskin, Arvadraa glances back at Blades (who, if her money is on the mark, is already ready to toss something at this guy) and puts a hoof up, then peers ahead. "...Say, aren't you...?"
"Village, razing, yes. I assume you are under control this time?" Once more, given the situation, he's rather calm.
"Mm, not really, no. The shock is starting to give way to the burning rage again. I appreciate your blitheness, though." Horne glances back at Blades again. The shadows immediately form two claw tendrils, and his wings beat, propelling him a few feet upwards. "Blades, dear, do take him."
That was quick. Zaros thinks to himself blandly. Then internally pauses again. 'Thanks, I work out'. That was it.
As the group trekked through the catacombs, Sandy slowly began to stir on Silverpine's back. Emphasis on "slowly". Every now and again, one of his legs would give an errant twitch, then he'd start to shift on Silverpine's back, only to fall back into unconsciousness with a quiet whimper. If he'd heard their talk about Gearstride's fate, he made no indication of it.
[Sandy's Stores: 6 stakes, 2 knives, 1/4 magical reserves (detectable by the vamponies)]
Vampony Stuff
Sneaking along the sidelines, Staccata is keeping an eye out for general danger. This doesn't mean she had to stop being part of the conversation. "Actually, this place leads to the prison of an ancient psychopath. So in any case try to avoid bringing it down."
Rainbow stays quiet. It is taking all her willpower to not run ahead and shoot the first bloodsucker she sees. The images of Sandy and Gear float around her head. It forces her to shake them off but the images reform.
She always hallucinates this way. Whoever she cannot see to protect she sees in the dark. And knowing that the vampony had to do her job once already was upsetting.
Vampony Side-conversation
"Actually no, this is one of those banished prisons deep within the earth for blah blah," Staccata explains. For somepony retired from adventuring, she's really neck-deep in all the stuff.
It's a rather odd, casual tone considering they're in the lair of eeeeeeeevil.
Mazes, who doesn't love 'em? Cackle
Up ahead as they ventured down into a narrowing passageway, following a random path like a rail road, the gang would come across a cross section that opened up, three paths, right, left, straight up ahead. Above, for those who could see in the dark naturally and unnaturally the ceiling was rounded, cracked with weeds and cracks showing dirt sprinkling down. There were pillars scattered about, some barely still standing, most overtaken by gravity.
Violet couldn't either think what to say, in a normal condition she would have just hugged him, but they're guarding at the moment :smalltongue:
Outside - no, not the mall, outside
"Boring"
"Hey, are we going to attack or what?"
"Patience, they aren't outside yet, just teh griffon, the earth colt... And Aero, he's went for the little one, both went inside already... The southern gate is closer and doesn't seem very protected, if you're that bored, go clear"
The other 2 were already trotting down
Daniel
"Either we pick a direction and stick with it, or I can leave a blood trail behind us to follow back if we hit a dead end and take another path. Thoughts?"
[Subterranean Ponyism]
"Not again," muttered Night Jewel as she leapt for cover. "What is it with you lot and killing each other?"
Blades didn't need much encouragement to attack things. As soon as Horne spoke, she let fly with a wild spray of daggers.
"Hold on- What are you- STOP!" Obsidian Flare stamped a hoof, causing the chamber to shake slightly. "What is going on here?"
Pony Underground, with Vampires and no Raves
Staccata ponders over the situation. Usually crazy dungeon builders favor the right side or center for the best outcome in her experience. Always a crap-shoot though.
"Whatever we do, splitting up would, like always, be terribly suicidal." The mare checks the ground for any signs of a pony going any particular direction.
Horne stops in place, and a tendril about to grab Zaros also freezes. He looks at Flare like she just mentioned that she was made of onions. "...We are trying to kill eachother. Obviously."
Zaros, for his part, just stood still and took the knives, a majority of them sinking into chinks due to Blades' superior marksmanship. If the chinks were anywhere near vital areas, he would be dead in an instant. But anypony with sufficient eyesight could see that on at least a few of the strikes he moved so that they hit him a little more softly than normal, where he clearly could have dodged entirely. It's almost like he wants to be hit.
"Trying is the operative word. I am willing to allow the smith to batter away until no weapon of hers remains, but your magic will not affect me with even a half-second to spare. Release your hold; the mare has a quarrel with me, not-"
"Oh, shut up. If it answers your question, imprisoned one, I am presently about to commence with the slaughtering of an admitted slaver and mass murderer. It will hardly take ten seconds, give or take a few extra moments of screaminggggAAAAHHHHH!"
Zaros casually checks his hoof while Horne starts spazzing out and hits the floor. "Your methods are indeed effective."
"Glad to hear I wasn't the only one thinking that. Any of those assembled with good knowledge of vampire psychology - does this coven strike you as Blood Knights, or toy-with-your-mind types?" Time to put all those ranks in 'Knowledge (Genre Savvy)' to at least some use.